Window assembly for electric home appliance and control panel assembly usingg the same

ABSTRACT

A window assembly for an electric home appliance and a control panel assembly using the same are provided. The window assembly includes a plurality of windows for covering a plurality of display elements, respectively; and a unifying member for joining the windows, the unifying member having at least one flexible portion. The unifying member has a plurality of window couplers, each window coupler ganging together a predetermined group of the plurality of windows, and the at least one flexible portion is formed by at least one group joining member for flexibly joining the plurality of window couplers. The plurality of windows is made up of at least two window groups, each window group having at least one window, adjacent window groups of the at least two window groups being separated by a predetermined distance. The at least one flexible portion has a predetermined length, the predetermined length being greater than the predetermined distance, to compensate for dimensional discrepancies in a control panel assembly resulting from normal manufacturing processes. The control panel assembly includes a panel having a plurality of through holes formed in an exterior surface; and a substrate, disposed behind the panel, having a plurality of display elements. The window assembly is disposed between the panel and the substrate, and the plurality of windows of the window assembly are respectively inserted into the plurality of through holes.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 10-2004-0009706, filed on Feb. 13, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electric home appliance, and more particularly, to a window assembly for an electric home appliance and a control panel assembly using the same, in which the window assembly is made up of a plurality of transparent windows, to be inserted into a corresponding plurality of through holes formed in a panel of the control panel assembly, and a flexible portion to facilitate the insertion during an assembly step.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Contemporary washing machines are typically provided with display means comprising a plurality of light-emitting diodes mounted on a substrate of a control panel assembly to be respectively positioned behind a corresponding plurality of windows through which the status of a washing cycle can be displayed for user reference. An exemplary drum- type washing machine having such display means is shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary control panel assembly of a general home appliance such as a washing machine.

Referring to FIG. 1, a cabinet 2 forms the exterior of a washing machine 1 in which a tub (not shown) is mounted. A drum 4 for accommodating laundry is rotatably disposed inside the tub, to be rotated by a motor (not shown) coupled to the rear of the drum. A plurality of lifters 8, for lifting the laundry in the drum 4 to a predetermined height from which the laundry may fall due to gravity, is installed on an inner surface of the drum. A cabinet cover 12, having a laundry opening 10 centrally formed in the cabinet cover for accessing the laundry in the drum 4, is mounted on a front side of the cabinet 2, and a door 16 for closing the laundry opening is hinged with respect to the cabinet cover. A control panel assembly 14, for controlling operation of the washing machine 1, is disposed above the cabinet cover 12 and is mounted with respect to the cabinet 2.

Referring to FIG. 2, the control panel assembly 14 includes a panel 20 in which a plurality of through holes 26 are formed as an arrangement for facilitating user operation of the washing machine 1, a substrate 30 disposed behind the panel, and a plurality of transparent windows 40 respectively inserted into the through holes formed in the panel. A rotary switch 32, a tactile switch 34, and a plurality of light-emitting diodes 36 are all mounted on the substrate 30. When the control panel assembly 14 is assembled, the transparent windows 40, which are individually inserted into the through holes 26 from the rear side of the panel 20, align with the light-emitting diodes 36 of the substrate 30, so as to cover each light-emitting diode, thereby allowing the emitted light to project through the through holes to be viewed by a user to confirm the operational status of the washing machine 1.

The substrate 30 is also typically provided with a rotary switch 32 and a series of tactile switches 34, which are arranged with the plurality of light-emitting diodes 36. To operate these switches, the panel 20 is provided with a rotary dial 22 and a series of push buttons 24 to be coupled with corresponding elements mounted on the substrate 30, ie., the rotary switch and tactile switches, respectively, to allow a physical force to be transmitted from the panel to the substrate.

The control panel assembly as described above, however, utilizes a large number of assembly components, i.e., the plurality of windows 40, and requires many assembly steps, i.e., individual insertion of the windows into the through holes 26. To overcome this problem, the plurality of windows 40 may be grouped together into a plurality of groups of windows, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, illustrating another example of a control panel assembly, the plurality of transparent windows 40 are arranged as a plurality of window groups, each group being ganged together by a connecting plate 42. Therefore, assembly of the window groups to the panel 20 by insertion into the through holes 26 is assisted by the connecting plate 42, whereby the window group joined by one of the plurality of connecting plates can be simultaneously inserted into a corresponding group of through holes, by simply manipulating a window assembly 50. Accordingly, the assembly process of the control panel assembly is simplified in that the number of assembly components and the number of assembly steps are both reduced.

As a result, however, the window groups themselves become prefabricated assembly components that contribute to the part count of a manufactured washing machine, and each window group requires a separate assembly step, thereby inhibiting the assembly efficiency, complicating the assembly process, and burdening assembly component storage and tracking requirements for the control panel assembly.

To further facilitate assembly, the number of prefabricated components and the number of assembly steps may be further reduced, for example, by ganging together the entire plurality of transparent windows 40 into a unified body for assembly to the panel 20 by a simultaneous insertion of just one prefabricated component into the through holes 26 collectively. In doing so, the number of assembly components and the number of assembly steps are greatly reduced.

In practice, however, prefabrication of the windows 40 as a unified body impedes rather than simplifies assembly, due to dimensional discrepancies resulting from normal manufacturing processes. That is, minute variations in size, shape, and position occur when forming an injection molding of the unified body forming the plurality of windows 40, and an inherent degree of error occurs when locating the through holes 26 in the panel 20, which may create a misalignment of the unified body with respect to the panel, may cause an improper assembly of the windows to the panel, or may even render impossible the insertion of the windows into the through holes. Moreover, in a mass-production manufacturing process, the error tolerances of predetermined dimensions should be maximized for a more streamlined production, which exacerbates the aforementioned assembly problems of the unified body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a window assembly for an electric home appliance that substantially obviate one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

An object of the present invention is to provide a window assembly for an electric home appliance, by which a unified body forms a prefabricated assembly joining a plurality of transparent windows.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a window assembly for an electric home appliance, which enables a compensation of dimensional discrepancies in a control panel assembly resulting from normal manufacturing processes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a window assembly for an electric home appliance, which enhances assembly efficiency of a control panel assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a window assembly for an electric home appliance, which resolves a product deficiency caused by dimensional discrepancies resulting from normal manufacturing processes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a window assembly for an electric home appliance, which enables a plurality of windows to be joined by a unifying member having at least one flexible portion.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a window assembly for an electric home appliance, which enables a manufacturing operation to increase an error tolerance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a control panel assembly suitable for implementing the window assembly of the present invention.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these objects and other advantages in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a window assembly for an electric home appliance. The window assembly comprises a plurality of windows for covering a plurality of display elements, respectively; and a unifying member for joining the windows, the unifying member having at least one flexible portion made of a flexible material, wherein the plurality of windows comprises at least two window groups. Each window group has at least one window, and adjacent window groups of the at least two window groups are separated by a predetermined distance. To compensate for dimensional discrepancies, which result from unintentional variations in a set of predetermined dimensions for fabrication of the control panel assembly that may occur during manufacturing, the at least one flexible portion has a predetermined length greater than the predetermined distance. Preferably, the flexible portion has a U-shaped form but may have a V-shaped form, a semicircular form, or any similar form providing an excess length to the flexible material. The unifying member comprises a plurality of window couplers, each window coupler ganging together a predetermined group of the plurality of windows, and the at least one flexible portion comprises at least one group joining member for flexibly joining the plurality of window couplers.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control panel assembly comprising a panel having a plurality of through holes formed in an exterior surface; a substrate, disposed behind the panel, having a plurality of display elements; and the above window assembly, which is disposed between the panel and the substrate, such that the plurality of windows are respectively inserted into the plurality of through holes and are aligned with the plurality of display elements. The window assembly windows has a structure corresponding to the formation of the plurality of through holes in the panel, and the through holes are arranged in a predetermined pattern corresponding to an arrangement of the display elements, the predetermined pattern of through holes and the arrangement of the plurality of display elements each being formed by a mass-production process.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine comprising a cabinet and the above control panel assembly, which is mounted with respect to the cabinet.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a general drum-type washing machine;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a control panel assembly of the washing machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing another example of a control panel assembly of the washing machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the control panel assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a control panel assembly according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is front side view of the control panel assembly of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the control panel assembly of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

Referring to FIGS. 5-7, a window assembly 80 according to the present invention includes a plurality of windows 82 for respectively covering a corresponding plurality of display elements 76 and a unifying member 90, having at least one flexible portion, for joining the windows 82 into a single prefabricated body. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the display elements 76 are comprised of light-emitting diodes but may be comprised of segmented elements. Likewise, the windows 82 of the present invention may be formed as a transparent viewing bulb, i.e., a window for covering a light-emitting diode, as a transparent viewing pane, i.e., a window for covering a segmented element, or as a transparent viewing lens, i.e., a window for conducting and magnifying the light emitted from the light-emitting diode or segmented element.

The unifying member 90 comprises a plurality of window couplers 84, for ganging together the windows 82 of a predetermined group, and at least one group joining member 86 for flexibly joining the window couplers. Here, the group joining member 86 is a flexible portion of the unifying member 90, the flexible portion being of a sufficient length for absorbing any dimensional discrepancies occurring due to normal variations in fabricating components of an electric home appliance such as a washing machine having a control panel. Each group joining member 86 is formed of a flexible material, such as a pliable plastic, to provide dimensional flexibility between adjacent window groups and may be have a U-shaped form, as shown in FIGS. 5-7, or may have a V-shaped form, a semicircular form, or a similar form providing an excess length to the flexible material.

Each window coupler 84 is preferably formed of a rigid material such as a hard plastic having greater rigidity than the flexible material forming the group joining members 86. Thus, each of the window couplers 84 gangs together a predetermined group of windows 82, namely, window groups G1, G2, G3, G4, or G5, by providing a connection between the windows of any group. The window couplers 84 are coupled to the windows 82, preferably at a bottom portion thereof, so that the windows of the group are spaced apart from each other. The windows 82 of any group may be individually arranged in variety of control panel patterns, as desired, for example, a linear, curved, or grid pattern. Each group joining member 86 joins at least two adjacent groups among the window groups G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5. Accordingly, the group joining members 86 form the windows 82 as a unified body allowing an insertion of the window assembly 80 into the through holes 66 using a single assembly step, thereby simplifying the assembly process for the control panel assembly.

A control panel assembly 10 according to the present invention comprises a panel 60, in which a plurality of through holes 66 are formed as an arrangement for facilitating user operation of a washing machine adopting the present invention, and a substrate 70 mounted on the rear side of the panel. The window assembly is disposed between the panel 60 and the substrate 70, and the control panel assembly 110 is mounted with respect to a cabinet 52 forming the exterior of a washing machine according to the present invention. To mount the control panel assembly 110 to the cabinet 52, a plurality of hooks 60 a formed on the perimeter of the panel 60 is engaged with a corresponding plurality of slots 52 a formed in surfaces of or adjacent to the cabinet.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a control panel assembly adopting the window assembly according to the present invention includes a panel 60 having a predetermined hole pattern for mounting control and control display components and a substrate 70 providing a corresponding arrangement of substrate components for controlling and monitoring the status of the operation of an electric home appliance. The control and control display components of the panel 60 may include a rotary dial 62, a plurality of push buttons 64, and a view screen 68. The substrate components of the substrate 70 may include a rotary switch 72, a plurality of tactile switches 74, and a display screen 78. The substrate 70 is disposed behind the panel 60, and the substrate components face the panel, so that the rotary switch 72 is controllable by operation of the rotary dial 62, the tactile switches 74 are controllable by operation of the push buttons 64, and the display screen 78 can be viewed through the view screen 68.

The window assembly 80 can be inserted into the plurality of through holes 66 at one assembly step and has a structure for compensating normal dimensional variations in the predetermined hole pattern of the panel 60 or in the fabrication of the window assembly itself. When assembled into the control panel assembly 110, the windows 82 of the window assembly 80 are respectively positioned opposite the plurality of light-emitting diodes 76, and the window assembly is collectively inserted into the plurality of through holes 66 formed in the panel 60. Thus, owing to the transparency of the windows 82, the irradiating light emitted from the light-emitting diodes 76 is projected through the plurality of windows, which are respectively covering the plurality of light-emitting diodes while being aligned with and inserted into the plurality of through holes 66 from the rear side of the panel 60, to be visible from the panel's exterior, so that the display status of each display element can be viewed by a user.

The group joining members 86, which preferably have a U-shaped form, absorb any differences in size, shape, and/or positioning among the window groups G1-G5, the windows 82, and/or the through holes 66. In other words, dimensional discrepancies, resulting from unintentional variations in a set of predetermined dimensions for fabrication of the control panel assembly 110, may occur during a process of forming an injection molding of the window assembly 80 or during a process of perforating the panel 60 to form the through holes 66.

Since the window assembly 80 is formed as a unified body, thereby allowing the windows 82 to be simultaneously assembled to the through holes 66 of the panel 60, the coupling of the window assembly to the panel is likely to be adversely affected by the dimensional variations occurring during processes for forming the windows and through holes, especially the relative distances between any adjacent two of the window groups G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5. The individual flexibility of each of the plurality of group joining members 86, however, enables a compensation of such dimensional variations, thereby facilitating the assembly of the window assembly 80 to the panel 60. That is, while performing a function of joining adjacent groups of windows, each group joining member 86 also maintains a mean separation distance between the adjacent groups.

In assembling the control panel assembly 110 according to the present invention, the rotary dial 62 and the push buttons 64 are positioned on the panel 60, so as to be manipulated in conjunction with the rotary switch 72 and tactile switches 74 of the substrate 70. The window assembly 80 is installed from the rear side of the panel 60, such that the plurality of windows 82 are aligned for simultaneous (single-step) insertion into the plurality of through holes 66, respectively. At this time, a dimensional variation may occur during the process of forming an injection molding of the window assembly 80 or during the process of perforating the control panel 60 to form the through holes 66, so that some portion or portions of the plurality of windows or window groups may become misaligned or misassembled with the corresponding through hole. If a mass-production process is employed, wherein a single manipulation of just one tool for forming any of the window groups G1-G5, each group comprising one or more of the windows 82, the spacing between windows is maintained while the spacing between groups may vary. To compensate for such variations, the group joining members 86 of the window assembly 80 may individually expand and contract as necessary to correct the assembly position of the windows 82, thereby absorbing any dimensional differential existing between the panel 60, the through holes 66 formed therein, and the components, e.g., window groups G1-G5, of the window assembly. After assembling the window assembly 80 to the panel 60, the substrate 70 is mounted on the rear side of the panel, which is coupled to the window assembly, so as to be positioned behind the window assembly. At the same time, interlocking connections are performed for each of the substrate components mounted on the substrate 70 with respect to the control and control display components installed in the panel 60. Thus, when a user turns the rotary dial 62, the rotary switch 72 turns accordingly, thereby setting a washing cycle of the drum-type washing machine; when the user pushes a push button 64, the corresponding tactile switch 74 is also pushed, thereby controlling the operation of the drum-type washing machine; and the user can confirm the current status of the washing cycle, which is displayed by the display screen 78 through the viewing screen 68. Depending upon the state of the light-emitting diodes 76 displayed through the windows 82, the user can likewise confirm the current status of the washing cycle and the controlled condition of the operation of the drum-type washing machine.

Although not specifically shown in the drawings, the window assembly of the present invention facilitates an assembly of a control panel having plural surfaces. That is, the flexibility of the joining members 86 permits an alignment and insertion of the windows 82 into the through holes 66 formed in a control panel having varying surface depths or multiple surfaces. In other words, the panel 60 may comprise at least two surfaces occupying the same or separate planes, such that the normal dimensional variations of a control panel assembly include the third dimension, i.e., depth, and the window assembly 80 according to the present invention can be applied to compensate for variations in depth.

As described above, in the window assembly for the electric home appliance and the control panel using the same according to the present invention, adjacent groups of windows are joined together by a window coupler, to be formed as a unified body and thereby facilitate an assembly process of the control panel assembly and allow for an increase in error tolerances for the window assembly fabrication and the through hole placement. Also, the group joining members of the window assembly are formed of a flexible material that can expand and contract horizontally and vertically, and even along a third axis, so as to compensate for dimensional discrepancies and poor positioning between the windows and the through holes, thereby preventing deficient assembly of the control panel assembly and increasing its productivity.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A window assembly for an electric home appliance, comprising: a plurality of windows for covering a plurality of display elements, respectively; and a unifying member for joining the windows, the unifying member having at least one flexible portion.
 2. The window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of windows comprises at least two window groups, each window group having at least one window, adjacent window groups of the at least two window groups being separated by a predetermined distance.
 3. The window assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one flexible portion has a predetermined length, the predetermined length being greater than the predetermined distance.
 4. The window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one flexible portion has a U-shaped form.
 5. The window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one flexible portion has a V-shaped form.
 6. The window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one flexible portion has a semicircular form.
 7. The window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display elements are light-emitting diodes.
 8. The window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display elements are segmented elements.
 9. The window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the windows are made of a transparent material.
 10. The window assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transparent material is formed as a pane for viewing one of the plurality of display elements.
 11. The window assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transparent material is formed as a bulb for viewing one of the plurality of display elements.
 12. The window assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transparent material is formed as a lens for conducting and magnifying light emitted from one of the plurality of display elements.
 13. The window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unifying member comprises a plurality of window couplers, each window coupler ganging together a predetermined group of the plurality of windows, and wherein the at least one flexible portion comprises at least one group joining member for flexibly joining the plurality of window couplers.
 14. A window assembly for an electric home appliance, comprising: a plurality of windows for covering a plurality of display elements, respectively; a plurality of window couplers, each window coupler ganging together a predetermined group of the plurality of windows; and at least one group joining member for flexibly joining the plurality of window couplers.
 15. The window assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one group joining member has a U-shaped form.
 16. The window assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one group joining member has a V-shaped form.
 17. The window assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one group joining member has a semicircular form.
 18. The window assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the display elements are light-emitting diodes.
 19. The window assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the display elements are segmented elements.
 20. The window assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the window couplers are formed of a rigid material.
 21. The window assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein the rigid material has a greater rigidity than the at least one group joining member.
 22. A control panel assembly, comprising: a panel having a plurality of through holes formed in an exterior surface; a substrate, disposed behind the panel, having a plurality of display elements; and a window assembly disposed between the panel and the substrate, the window assembly comprising: a plurality of windows for covering a plurality of display elements, respectively; and a unifying member for joining the windows, the unifying member having at least one flexible portion, wherein the plurality of windows are aligned with the plurality of through holes.
 23. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein the unifying member of the window assembly comprises a plurality of window couplers, each window coupler ganging together a predetermined group of the plurality of windows, and wherein the at least one flexible portion comprises at least one group joining member for flexibly joining the plurality of window couplers.
 24. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein the plurality of windows are inserted into the plurality of through holes.
 25. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein the window assembly has a structure corresponding to the formation of the plurality of through holes in the panel.
 26. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein the plurality of through holes is arranged in a predetermined pattern corresponding to an arrangement of the plurality of display elements, the predetermined pattern of through holes and the arrangement of the plurality of display elements each being formed by a mass-production process.
 27. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein the panel comprises at least two surfaces occupying the same plane.
 28. The control panel assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein the panel comprises at least two surfaces occupying separate planes.
 29. A washing machine, comprising: a cabinet; and a control panel assembly mounted with respect to the cabinet, the control panel assembly comprising: a control panel having a plurality of through holes formed in an exterior surface; a substrate, disposed behind the control panel, having a plurality of display elements; and a window assembly disposed between the control panel and the substrate, the window assembly comprising: a plurality of windows for covering a plurality of display elements, respectively; and a unifying member for joining the windows, the unifying member having at least one flexible portion, wherein the plurality of windows are aligned with the plurality of through holes.
 30. The washing machine as claimed in claim 29, wherein the unifying member of the window assembly comprises a plurality of window couplers, each window coupler ganging together a predetermined group of the plurality of windows, and wherein the at least one flexible portion comprises at least one group joining member for flexibly joining the plurality of window couplers. 